Irresponsible voting choices to avoidThe latest Gallup poll indicates that 14 percent of the people “moderately disapprove” of Barack Obama’s performance as president and 39 percent “strongly disapprove.” Since Obama won two presidential elections, chances are that some of those who now “strongly disapprove” of what he has done voted to put him in office. We all make mistakes, but the real question is whether we learn from them. With many people now acting as if it is time for “a...

Kansas independent could shake up SenateThe race between Sen. Mark Pryor and Rep. Tom Cotton is one of the two or three most important in the country because both political parties believe it will help determine who will control the Senate. But another race could be even more important — the one in Kansas, where businessman Greg Orman, a member of no party, has a chance to win. A recent Public Policy Polling poll placed Orman third in a four-man race with 23 percent support. Sen. Pa...

John Pope: An icon and namesake for Pope CountyJohn Pope was the third territorial governor of Arkansas and a man who helped steer Arkansas out of its wilderness era. However, his outspokenness would spark many political fights within the new territory. Pope was born in 1770 on his parents’ farm in northern Virginia, near the Maryland border. When the American Revolution erupted, his father, William Pope, served as a colonel for the colonial forces. As the war intensified, Col. Pope decide...

State Police should open file to murder victim’s familyWhen is the investigative file in an unsolved criminal case open to the public? The State of Arkansas is taking the position that the file is never open, not even the family of the murder victim, and that’s outrageous. That’s the situation in the case of Francis Ruby Stapleton, who was murdered near her Searcy home on Oct. 8, 1963 — almost 51 years ago. No one has ever been charged in the case, and yet the Arkansas State Police contends that i...

Plenty still at play in Senate campaignLITTLE ROCK — In a campaign where we’ve already seen ads featuring the Ebola virus and a bird pooping on a newspaper, it’s hard to imagine how the Arkansas Senate race could get more intense — or more bizarre. Though Labor Day is traditionally viewed as the time that campaigns heat up, this is a race that has showed little signs of slowing down. Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and Republican rival and Republican Congressman Tom Cotton have spe...

The over-hyped Black WidowThere have been an abundance of Black Widow spiders around my house this summer. I don’t know if it’s prime venomous spider retail or just a coincidence, but I’ve found and killed five or six of them over the last three months. It’s particularly troublesome because I have dogs and children. Black widows, in case you don’t know, are particularly hateful-looking spiders. The females are jet-black, with long, spindly legs and glistening orb-like ...

Human skull donated to Goodwill store in TexasPolice are scratching their heads trying to work out who donated a human skull to a thrift store in Austin, Texas. Homicide Detective Derek Israel said Wednesday foul play is not suspected and that he just wants to know how the adult skull came to be left at the Goodwill store. Goodwill store staff discovered the skull while sifting through donations on July 16. A spokeswoman says it could have been gifted up to a week prior to its discovery. ...

Training future STEM educatorsLITTLE ROCK — Another academic year is underway, and we are one step closer to 2020. That is the predicted date when three-fourths of the jobs in Arkansas will require advanced skills in science, technology, engineering or mathematics — the STEM disciplines. In preparation for this transformation, more of our schools are employing the STEM Works Program. High school students who prepare early, by becoming involved in STEM career clusters, will...

Remember the flood of Dec. 13, 1982The Russellville City Council must not be long-time residents of Pope County or they would remember the flood of Dec. 13, 1982. Over 14 inches of rain fell in one day and over 17 inches of rain over a two day period. The city's water works pumps were flooded. Water water everywhere and nary any to drink! If they think that filling in the North Phoenix site with a few feet of dirt will protect the new aquatic center in a flood plain they are sa...

Dear politiciansI would be strongly encouraged to vote for aspiring job applicants who would champion laws making it illegal to publicly run ads or otherwise waste so much money except during the window of six weeks before any election. Anyone who agrees can vote for that right here. Dan Lightfoot Russellville

Israel, the land of the BibleLife is full of regrets, but I have found the best course of action is to press on and focus on the things that lie ahead and do your best to help those you encounter along the way. For many years I have wanted to travel to Israel, the land of the Bible, and walk along the same trails and visit the same places where Jesus spent His time while here on earth. This became a reality for me back on March 17, when I went with my pastor and a group, ...

Scotland’s future hangs in balanceCAIRNRYAN, Scotland — For Americans whose knowledge of this beautiful land is limited to kilts, whiskey, bagpipes and the film “Braveheart,” the forthcoming referendum on whether Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom or become an independent nation will come as a curiosity at best. The primary objection of those favoring separation is the lack of self-determination granted to Scots by the British government. Though Westminster in r...

The value of work and Labor DayMy first paying job was cleaning the bathrooms at the First Baptist Church of Carrollton, Georgia, where I was a member. I was 14, the minimum age for “children” to work. This was neither glamorous nor exciting work, but useful and needed work. On Sundays I often over heard the “little old ladies” of the church commenting on the cleanliness of the bathroom. I remember my subsequent feeling of pride. While not a glamorous work, my actions were ...

A grim stalemate at war’s end in GazaTEL AVIV, Israel — The third Gaza War in six years appears to have ended in another sort of tie, with both Israel and Hamas claiming the upper hand. Their questionable achievements have come at a big price, especially to long-suffering Palestinians in Gaza. In a sense, Israel got what it wanted: Hamas stopped firing rockets in exchange for mostly vague promises and future talks. But the cost to Israel was huge: Beyond the 70 people killed — al...

What's your identity?My Identity: Identity is defined as who you are. It’s what makes you who you are; it’s what makes you unique. Still it can be hard to grasp because some of us are still trying to find out our identity and who we are. You know when you’re a child you don’t really know who you are, and at times certain labels get placed on you because of the way you look, or talk or act. But that doesn’t define who you are. No matter what you like or don’t like ...

On Davidson’s welfare opinion pieceJim Davidson’s Friday opinion piece, “How did we get here?” uses data put forward by the Cato institute to make the case that welfare payments are largely (if not solely) responsible for an ever increasing national debt. One problem: Cato’s data is bogus and was shown to be so by folks across the political spectrum soon after the report’s release last year. Welfare does not pay more than minimum wage in 33 states, and welfare recipients in Haw...

Facts vs. social visions don’t line upThe political left has been campaigning against the use of force since at least the 18th century. So it is not surprising that they are now arguing that heavily armed or aggressive police forces only inflame protesters and thus provoke violence. Statisticians have long warned that correlation is not causation, but they have apparently warned in vain. There is no reason to doubt that heavily armed police in riot gear may be more likely to show ...

Arkansas races attract national figuresLITTLE ROCK — The parade of national Republican Party figures through Arkansas touting the GOP’s candidates underscores just how much the party is counting on a state that had once been considered a Democratic stronghold in the South. It also offers the GOP a chance to make another, not-subtle dig at what they say is Democrats’ biggest weakness — the unpopularity of their national leaders in the state. The separate visits by former Republican ...

Arkansas should consider changing its method of selecting judgesArkansas needs to change its system of selecting judges, and we need to do it before the people who elect them lose confidence in their courts. That’s not to say the courts are doing such a bad job, but we’ve seen the future and it’s not good. Here’s the problem: Political action committees, fueled by tons of money donated by anonymous people, corporations and special interest organizations such as unions, are beginning to decide who will pres...

Mr. Stoner arrested on pot chargesA Virginia man with the last name Stoner is facing drug charges after police found more than $10,000 worth of marijuana plants at his home. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Paul Scott Stoner, 42, of Unionville is charged with growing marijuana and having a firearm while in possession of more than a pound of marijuana. Media outlets reported the charges stem from an ongoing investigation related to the alleged sale of marijuana to childr...